Various debris removal attachments have been used in the past, but their high capital cost and lack of durability and versatility have proven to be a disadvantage in practice. For example, removal of debris with a metal bucket often results in undesirable and uneven wear of the bucket edge. Damage and deformation of a bucket is further accelerated by engagement with curbs, road projections, potholes, or the like. Because of this rapid wear, it is common for metal blades or buckets to be frequently replaced or fixed. In addition, by using such a deformed and rigid bucket, frequently a lot of material remains on the road or pavement due to the deformations in the bucket edge, irregularities in the surface of the pavement, and the general inability of a thick and unyielding bucket edge to wipe a thin coating of wet mud or debris off the pavement. In addition, hard edges of bucket scrapers or metal blades undesirably scrape asphalt off the rocks embedded in the pavement, which allow water to seep therein, which in turn causes premature road damage.
Rotary brooms or brushes have been used to remove material from pavement, however, in practice, material to be removed must be dry in order to be removed with such a broom. In addition, brushes and brooms frequently result in problematic dust creation, which frequently settles back on the roadway in any event.